370z chemical/sulfur odor (catalytic converter??)
 

Hello everyone, I got a new 370z 6sp w 100 miles on it and the 2nd day of driving I could smell this awful, pungent, chemical, and sulfur-like-smell. I didn't rev past redline, was merely practicing going up hill (new at stick).

Possible causes of extremely strong chemical smell:
1. Burned tire (unlikely since I was driving less than 35 mph)
2. Burned clutch (didn't dump clutch, no weird clutch sound)
3. Burned plastic from engine heat (again I didn't redline, cold weather ~65 F and stable engine temp)
4. Electrical (unlikely, doesn't smell like that)
5. Catalytic converter (quite likely, chemical rxn takes place in the cat, elements such as excess sulfur probably gets put out through the exhaust)

I've also heard of ppl getting chemical odor from redlining, which is definitely the cat problem.

If it's the catback, would replacement such as Stillen or Berks remedy such issue?

For those that say 'it's just how z's are' or 'it's a minor problem', let me say that no normal car should be like that. Anyone having the same problem or have any thoughts please provide some input.

Just because you didn't duml the clutch doesn't mean you didn't slip the clutch too much and burn it while trying to go uphill. You said you are new at manual

:iagree: Dreezy is correct. You slipped your clutch too much thus creating the burning clutch smell. I highly suggest that you dont practice stick on your 370. Your wearing out your brand new cars clutch AND 370z is just generally a hard manuel car to practice with.

second the clutch comments

Smells like a rotten egg you have a fubared cat. Smells like something else burnt then maybe the clutch was slipped too much.

There are some normal weird smells as the car does its first couple of hundred miles as things burn in, especially once you manage to get the engine and exhaust temperatures up a bit.

That said I'm going to echo the above posters, definitely sounds like you slipped the clutch a bit too much with too much rpm. The smell will go away, just be more careful with slipping or you'll be in for a new clutch pretty quickly.

Invite someone who is an experience manual driver next time to help you out. It sounds like you burnt the clutch.

I did that a couple times, slipped the clutch. This was my first manual as well, and I only did that couple of times, no reason not to learn on this car! If you learn on a car with a super slippery clutch or something like a civic or Miata, this car feels totally different.

I think too much rev before letting off the clutch would shoot that smell through your vents

The clutch and the cats will both smell for the first couple hundred miles.

ahh i see. i also agree with dreezy and remember revving too much uphill, i might have gone 3-4k and released the clutch too slowly.

so i just just needed to release the clutch faster and stay around 2-3k?

thanks for the feedback

I was shocked to read this today because I also smelled a Sulfur like smell on my way home from work today on my 2011 370Z 7AT and I have less than 600 miles on it. It wasn't driven hard or uphill, just regular hi-way driving.

You want to start off with low revs and let your clutch off slow, just until you think the clutch grabs fully. Think of two plates. One is spinning with the engine, one isn't until you bring them closer and closer together. If one plate is spinning mad fast and you slowly bring the other one, they're going to create a lot of heat. If one plate is going real fast and you dump the clutch, it's a ton of strain on all parts and you'll get wheel spin. However, if you have the flywheel spinning at a reasonable speed, then your clutch has an easier time matching the speed of the flywheel as you let it out.

I typed that paragraph and I'm not reading it over. I bet it's crazy.